Khilafat Centenary Souvenir 1908-2008 — Page 44
and Azerbaijan. A rebellion in Iran was crushed. In the north, the Romans were once again defeated by the Muslim forces led by Hadhrat Amir Muawiah. Then the Romans came by sea to invade Egypt, but were once again repelled by the Muslim forces. As a result of these battles, the whole of Iran, Asia Minor and Egypt came under Muslim control. During his time, a navy was organized and an Islamic fleet was established, administrative divisions of the state were revised, and many public projects were expanded and completed. Hadhrat Uthman ra sent prominent Companions of the Holy Prophet' aw as his personal deputies to various provinces to examine the conduct of officials and the condition of the people. One of the most notable contributions by Hadhrat Uthman ra to the religion of God was the compilation of a complete and authoritative text of the Hol y Qur'an. A large number of copies of the Holy Qur 'an were made and distributed to all over the Muslim world. Hadhrat Uthman' a ruled for twelve years. The first six years were marked by internal peace and tranquility, but during the second half of his khilafat, a rebellion arose. The Jews and the Magians, taking advantage of dissatisfaction among the people, began conspiring against Hadhrat Uthman ra , and by publicly airing their complaints and grievances, gained so much sympathy that it became difficult to distinguish friend from foe. It may seem surprising that a ruler of such vast territories, whose armies were matchless, was unable to deal with these rebels. If Hadhrat Uthman 'a had wished, the rebellion could have been crushed at the very moment it began. But he was reluctant to be the first to shed the blood of Muslims, however rebellious they might be. He preferred to reason with them , to persuade them with kindness and generosity. He remembered hearing the Holy Prophet' aw say, "Once the sword is unsheathed among my followers, it will not be sheathed until the Last Day. " Hadhrat Uthman '\ was martyred onJune 17, 656 AD, at the age of eighty-two, while he was reciting the Holy Qur'an. He certainly sacrificed his life for the integrity of Khilafat and in the best interest of Islam. Hadhrat Uthman 'a was reciting the following verse, "Verily, Allah will suffice you against them; He is the All-Hearing, the All-Knowing". (2: 138) Hadhrat Ali'\ was appointed the fourth Khalifa. He was the son of Abu Talib, the uncle of the Holy Prophet'a w. When the Holy Prophet'aw went to the expedition of Tabuk, he left Hadhrat Ali'a in charge of Madinah. Hadhrat Ali 'a was a very brave man. He participated in almost all the battles during the time of the Hol y Prophet'aw. The stories of his bravery are famous in history. He was not only a great warrior but a great scholar as well. The Holy Prophet' aw said about him, "I am the city of knowledge and Ali is its gate. " He was one of the great jurists among the Companions. The Holy Prophet'aw appointed him as the Qadi (Judge) of Yemen during his life time. He was a master of the Arabic language and his writings were as effective as his speech. Hadhrat Ali 'a was extremely honest and trustworthy and a very straight-forward person who considered the khilafat as a great trust. His aim was to establish peace in the State which should be the first aim of every good ruler in such a place where certain elements try to destroy the order. He did not have a desire for the Khilafat after the martyrdom of Hadhrat Uthman 'a but when he was elected, he tried his best to carry out his responsibility. He did not abandon his life of simplicity even though he was the Khalifa and the ruler of a vast state. Once a person named 'Abdullah ibn Zarir had an opportunity to take meals with him. The meal was very simple. 'Abdullah asked, "O Amirul Mu'minin, don 't you like the meat of birds ?" Hadhrat Ali replied, " The Khalifa has a right in Muslim (public) property only to the extent sufficient for him and his family. " Hadhrat Ali'a was a very generous Muslim. He never refused a beggar. Sometimes he gave all of his property to the poor and sold his arms to get food. Even though the era of Hadhrat Ali's ra khilafat was marred by civil strife, he nevertheless introduced a number of reforms, particularly in the levying and collecting of revenues. Hadhrat Ali 'a passed away on the 21 't of Ramadan in the city of Kufa in 661 AD. The four righteous and rightly guided Khulafa practiced and carried out their responsibilities till their last breath with dignity and honor. Their legacy built the foundation of Islam and sowed the seed of righteousness and purity among the Muslims who practiced Islam the way it is guided in the Holy Qur'an. With the persistent effort to integrate faith with reason and the spiritual with the material, Islam and the Muslim civilization of the Golden Age constructed a tenacious bond between science and spirituality in the East and West. This reform could not have been successful if it had not been for the vehicle of Islam that swept the world with its wisdom.